Liam Payne's death being treated as 'suspicious', Raygun inspires $21 Spotlight move: Australia news live

Plus see why you may be seeing a few Raygun look-a-likes in the street in a few weeks' time.

Expect to see this out and about during Halloween. Source: Spotlight/ TikTok
Expect to see this out and about during Halloween. Source: Spotlight/ TikTok

Yahoo's live news blog for Friday, October 18 has now concluded. Raygun has inspired a $21 Halloween costume at Spotlight which fans believe will be hugely popular this year.

Liam Payne's death continues to be one of the biggest news story as his One Direction band mates break their silence. Authorities have also said they are treating his death as suspicious.

Commonwealth Bank has issued a warning to mortgage holders saying a job data has meant an imminent rate cut is "less likely".

Two people are dead after a vehicle veered onto the wrong side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Thursday, police say. Find out why a motorcyclist unrelated to the crash will face charges.

See below for all of the day's updates.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER16 updates
  • Calls to remove lane from Sydney Harbour Bridge after fatal crash

    There are calls for the Sydney Harbour Bridge to lose a lane of traffic after two people died on Thursday when a vehicle veered onto the wrong side of the bridge.

    Dr Geoffrey Clifton, from the Institute Transport and Logistics Studies at the University of Sydney told Yahoo that new roads being built under the harbour like the Western Harbour Tunnel due to be completed in 2028 “might be an opportunity to cut back a lane on the Harbour Bridge and put in a more permanent barrier”.

    While Dr Clifton admits that it would “cut back capacity” for cars on the bridge, it may be the best option in preventing future accidents along the notorious stretch of road. “If there was a barrier it would prevent tragedies like this from occurring or making them much less serious,” he said.

    Dr Clifton said due to the sheer amount of traffic daily at the moment, it is "very hard to separate the two sides of the road".

  • Mpox cases surge past 1000

    The mpox outbreak has reached its peak in Victoria in line with a national surge to more than 1000 cases in 2024, with some patients ending up in hospital.

    The state's chief health officer on Friday announced that the number of people with the infection is the "biggest in Victoria since the first case was reported in May 2022".

    Professor Ben Cowie said while mpox has mostly affected men who are gay, bisexual or who have sex with men, it can affect anyone.

    "There have now been several cases in females in Victoria and heterosexual transmission has been reported," he said, meaning this is the first year where women have been affected.

    More than 1119 cases have been notified to federal authorities, as of Friday, with three-quarters located in Victoria and NSW (329 and 512, respectively).

    In the six months to Thursday, there have been confirmed hospitalisations in both Victoria (27) and NSW (28).

    Tasmania is the only state unaffected. There have been 85 cases in Queensland, 15 in the ACT, eight in South Australia, four in the Northern Territory and two in Western Australia.

  • Buenos Aires pays tribute to Liam Payne

    Fans continue to gather outside the hotel where One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead.

    Dozens of bunches of flowers and handwritten messages have been left in the Buenos Aires street near where the 31-year-old fell to his death from a balcony.

    Fans were pictured on Thursday (local time) crying in the street and embracing each other. Some sang One Direction songs with a guitar player.

    Scores more gathered at the historical Obelisk monument in one of the city's main squares, sitting and standing in a circle with candles lit in the middle.

    A fan of former One Direction singer Liam Payne cries next to a memorial created by fans outside the hotel where he was found dead after falling from a balcony the previous day in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
    A fan sits with her head in her hands at a Liam Payne tribute. Source: AP
    Fans of former One Direction singer Liam Payne gather around a memorial outside the hotel where he was found dead after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
    Fans sing One Direction songs outside the hotel. Source: AP
    Fans pay tribute to the late British singer Liam Payne at the Obelisco in Buenos Aires on October 17, 2024. Tributes poured for British singer Liam Payne, a former member of the best-selling boy band One Direction, after he plunged to his death from the balcony of a Buenos Aires hotel on October 16. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP) (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images)
    There were several tributes across Buenos Aires for Liam Payne, including this one at the Obelisk. Source: Getty
    Fans of former One Direction singer Liam Payne gather at the Obelisk to honor him one day after he was found dead at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
    Fans struggled to control their emotions at the tributes. Source: AP
  • Aussie missing in Bali after helping tourist struggling in water

    An Australian man has reportedly disappeared in waters off Bali while trying to rescue a German tourist in rough seas.

    Craig Laidley was walking along Balian Beach on the Indonesian island's west coast on Wednesday afternoon when he heard the man shouting for help, ABC news says.

    After helping to save the 29-year-old, the 56-year-old was carried away by the current.

    Read more here.

  • Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn pens apology letter

    Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn has been jailed for 32 years after he was found to have murdered camper Carol Clay. The 58-year-old penned an apology letter to her family and Russell Hill's family, her partner whose remains were also hidden by Lynn.

    In the letter to Justice Croucher and read to the court Lynn maintained he was innocent but apologised for the “selfish and callous in the extreme” treatment of the campers’ bodies.

    “Your Honour I am disappointed and perplexed by the jury’s verdict as I have not killed anyone and will be appealing,” he said.

    Greg Lynn
    Greg Lynn pictured at the Supreme Court of Victoria earlier this year. Source: AAP

    “Due to current community sentiment I understand my apology will likely be rejected by most.. I don’t ask for forgiveness I’m simply sorry for what I have done.”

    Lynn said he was sorry for his efforts to destroy Ms Clay’s and Mr Hill’s remains, saying he had reasons at the time but now accepted they were selfish.

    He apologised to Jetstar, his shooting clubs and family for the “pain, shame and suffering” he had caused.

    “I understand that due to current community sentiment, my apology will likely be rejected by most. With heartfelt regret for my own behaviour, I humbly apologise regardless,” he wrote.

  • Bats' unusual nesting place

    Now this is a great picture and a good warning to those who have an outdoor umbrella.

    Wildlife carer Cat Coake has revealed just why some species of microbats love making the inside of an umbrella home.

    "They absolutely adore a closed yard umbrella and it's perfect for staying dry, warm and safe during the day. Rent is cheap and it's easy to exit at night when it's time to get out and about," she explained on her Wild Animals Australia page.

    She says you can either leave them to it or buy a bat box and open the umbrella at night in the hope they switch home. If you don't have a place for them, they should be able to find another location, she advises.

    Well now you know.

    These bats love the inside of a garden umbrella. Source: A Bellingen
    These bats love the inside of a garden umbrella. Source: A Bellingen
  • Sydney schoolgirls criticised over Liam Payne death video

    A group of Sydney schoolgirls have faced backlash after they filmed a TikTok video that appeared to mock Liam Payne's death.

    In the video a girl can be seen jumping next to a balcony before a girl is seen lying below on some steps.

    Their video shared on social media has been described as "disgusting and unnecessary" by other users.

    Read more here.

    People who saw the video have labelled it
    People who saw the video have labelled it "disgusting and unnecessary". Photo: TikTok
  • Mystery beach finds impacting both ends of the earth

    While Sydney is dealing with its own beach mystery with hundreds of black balls washing ashore, on the other side of the world there's a similar emergence – but they're blobs... and white.

    Authorities say the mystery blobs on beaches are being taken "very seriously" as agencies try and work out just exactly what they are weeks on from their first appearance.

    Read more about them here.

    As HAZMAT workers clean black tar balls off Sydney beaches, across the world, authorities are working to identify a mystery white substance. Source: AAP/Environment and Climate Change Canada
    As HAZMAT workers clean black tar balls off Sydney beaches, across the world, authorities are working to identify a mystery white substance. Source: AAP/Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • Southeast Australia facing dangerous thunderstorms

    Australians in the southeast of the country are being warned over supercell thunderstorms that could materialise in some areas.

    "The most intense thunderstorm activity on Friday is expected to occur over the central and southern inland of NSW, the ACT and northeast Vic during the afternoon and early evening," Weatherzone warned.

    "In this storm-ripe environment, copious instability and ample wind shear are likely to cause rotating supercells, which increases the risk of destructive wind gusts (exceeding 125 km/h), giant hail (exceeding 5cm diameter), intense rainfall and tornadoes.

    "Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra could all see storms on Friday, although Sydney probably won’t see them until the late afternoon or evening. Of these three capital cities, Canberra has the highest risk of being hit by severe storms during Friday."

    Stay safe out there people.

  • Inside the hotel where Liam Payne was found dead

    The Associated Press has shared a photo of the inner courtyard where One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after he fell from a third-storey hotel balcony. To the left of the picture you can see several levels of hotel rooms.

    The hotel manager told police he heard a loud noise before Payne's body was found in the area pictured.

    The patio of the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead after falling from a balcony the previous day in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)
    The patio of the hotel where former One Direction singer Liam Payne was found dead. Source: AP
  • Police need tow truck to remove great white shark

    These are some graphic pictures now.

    Authorities on the US's east coast needed a tow truck to remove a 3.6-metre great white shark this week after it washed up on a Massachusetts beach.

    "You really never know what kind of call you'll respond to on any given shift," local police said.

    The male shark, named Koala, was a mature male shark and was first identified by officials in 2022, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said.

    "There are no obvious signs of how or why Koala died," the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy said in a statement. "Further testing will have to be done to find a cause of death."

  • Girl, 3, dies after being hit by car

    A three-year-old girl has died a day after being hit by a car at a busy Melbourne intersection.

    The young girl was reportedly walking across a pedestrian crossing in Endeavour Hills with her family when she was struck by the car about 8.30am on Thursday.

    She was critically injured and rushed to hospital but has since died this morning.

    The 24-year-old driver stopped at the scene and arrested by police, where he was charged with one count of dangerous driving causing serious injury.

    The Endeavour Hills man has been bailed and will appear before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday October 23.

    - With NCA NewsWire

  • Spotlight selling Raygun costumes

    Well we reckon this is going to sell out fast.

    Spotlight are selling a Raygun-inspired costume ahead of Halloween and it's fair to say people are loving it.

    And while her name isn't mentioned on the product, it's pretty clear who it is meant to be.

    "Strut into the party as one of Australia's most iconic breakdancers with the Spartys Australian Women's Breakdancer Costume," Spotlight says. "Don the green and yellow costume of an iconic breakdancer who shocked the world with her skills of the breakdancing craft."

    Included for $21 (VIP Club price) is a hat, t-shirt and pants.

    Expect to see this out and about during Halloween. Source: Spotlight/ TikTok
    Expect to see this out and about during Halloween. Source: Spotlight/ TikTok
  • Commonwealth predicting bleak Christmas for millions

    Mortgage holders holding out for pre-Christmas interest rate relief have had their hopes dashed following stronger-than-expected jobs data. Commonwealth Bank (CBA) revealed the odds of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) cutting rates in December were becoming “less likely”.

    The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1 per cent in September, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data revealed. About 64,100 jobs were added to the economy during the month, which was higher than expected, with most jobs being full-time positions.

    Gareth Aird, CBA Head of Australian Economics, said the strong jobs figures meant a December interest rate cut was looking “less likely”.

    “Overall, the recent labour market data does not strengthen the case for the RBA to commence normalising the cash rate this calendar year,” Aird said.

    “Indeed at the margin it weakens it. That means the conviction we have in our call for a 25 basis point December cut to the cash rate has dipped.”

    Read more here.

  • Man charged over deadly crash site move

    A motorbike rider has been charged after he allegedly rode through the crash site on the Sydney Harbour Bridge yesterday where two people died.

    While all lanes of traffic were stopped, the rider is alleged to have driven through a closed off area in an attempt to get through the blockage, Acting Superintendent Clayton McDonald said.

    Police stood in front of the motorbike, and one officer was hit on the leg, but the rider was stopped.

    The 24-year-old man has been charged with 12 offences - driving whilst suspended, driving an unregistered vehicle, using an uninsured vehicle on road, using a vehicle on road without tax being paid, using a vehicle with an unauthorised number plate, disobeying a no entry sign, exceeding the speed limit, three counts of not complying with direction to stop and knowingly driving a vehicle in manner which menaces other.

    Police believe the crash occurred when one vehicle veered onto the wrong side of the bridge.

    Read more here.

  • Liam Payne's death treated as suspicious

    Liam Payne's death is being treated as suspicious, according to authorities in Argentina.

    Police have said they found Payne's room in 'complete disarray', with prosecutors saying on Thursday (local time) that they were treating the case as a "suspicious death" due to evidence collected on the scene that indicated the One Direction singer was going through "some kind of substance abuse outbreak" at the time of his death.

    Police say he was alone in his hotel room at the time of his death. Payne fell from a third-storey hotel balcony.

    His fellow band members have broken their silence about his death, revealing their regrets they had over the 31-year-old.

    Liam Payne has died aged 31. Source: Getty
    Liam Payne has died aged 31. Source: Getty

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